Shilpa Mudiganti's Blog, page 5

Always You - My book Is Released!

Yay!! I know I am so selfish. After a month or more of writing nothing, I am writing again to announce my book release. Wee...seriously so selfish!

But my dear friends, I promise I have been a good, hard working girl to ensure that this book reaches this day. After an year of finishing the book, two publication houses and one fabulous journey to publication, I could finally face this day with pride. My small, little book Always You, a story of love, prejudice and forgiveness saw the light of the day. It has a very funny story behind it. It took me 4 Harlequin Mills & Boon books over a long weekend to motivate me to write it. I was so inspired after all the estrogen-filled books, that I knew I had to write one. I wrote one but never thought will publish it. After all, its romance and it has steamy scenes! What if my mom reads it? :O

Well, she did and she did not faint. :p

Today after a month long blog tour already where so many wonderful, dedicated book bloggers took the time to read it and review it, I have to say, I am humbled by their attention to this book. I thank all of them  from the bottom of my heart and for helping me out carve a niche for myself. You can find all of them here. I know I am asking too much, but if you have a minute, please visit at least some of them and show some love. They work hard for absolutely nothing in return. A simple hi would make their day.

I have a release party today too. Again, a wonderful group of blogs have agreed to host me. Now that is awesome and I cannot wait to go skipping to all of the blogs. It makes me all warm inside with their love. Thank you all. It means a lot to me. Here is the list. Again, if you have a few minutes, please grace their blogs:


Blogs participating:I Heart ReadingPavarti's BlogNicki J. Markus' BlogKindle and MeParadise Reading CafeA Pocket Full of BooksForever Lost in BooksGuardian of The CrossroadsReviews by MollyBooks, Books and More Books!Heather CimLets Book ItFictional CandyThe WormyholeFull Moon Bites ReviewsLibrary MosaicArtsy Musings of a BibliophileForever Book LoverBooked UpAlways a Book LoverKindle FeverUnputdownable BooksCece's Reading and WritingErratic Writing BlogBex Book NookAobibliosphereThe Daydreamer's Book ObsessionTyra's Book AddictionReader GirlsBooks and Sparkles

We also have a fabulous contest where you stand a chance to win a free Always You ebook. You should totally enter this contest. Click here to enter.

I also have to thank you all for being there with me on the blog. Blogging has helped me revive my writing and without your kind comments and encouragement, I could have never made this journey. Thank you all so much. You will always be special to me.

Special thanks to my publicist, Majanka Verstraete for working so hard in arranging all this. You are mind-blowing with your job.

OK. Now I take a deep breath and reveal something else.

Today is my birthday too! :D This day will always be remembered as it is both my birthday and my book birthday. And if you are thinking of a gift for me, its very simple - Just buy my book! :D I know, I am so shameless but hey, birthday girls can demand anything right? ;)

Below are the places where you can buy my book:


WEBSTORE AMAZON ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS BARNES & NOBLE 1PLACEFORROMANCE KOBO 



If you want a print book, then WEBSTORE and BARNES & NOBLE are the place to go. AMAZON will take time to upload it. Sad but never mind!

OK, that is all the self-promotion I am going to do. I will tweet and FB a lot about my boo tomorrow. So, please bear with me. Remember you cannot scold a birthday girl! Haha...

Wishing myself a very happy book birthday! Hope you all get a chance to read my book and enjoy it!

The Fake $100 Bill: Book Promotion Ideas

As usual, this friday me and my husband went mall-strolling. We have the same routine once we enter the mall. Take the shortest route from the entrance to the frozen yoghurt kiosk. Buy a delicious, yummy, cup of yoghurt filled with chocolate syrup and toppings. And then walk to the nearest seating area to enjoy it. What we do after that is irrelevant. But this is a tradition that we haven't broken till date.

So, this friday when we found our seats at the seating area, I saw this on the table:



For a moment, I thought it was a 100 dollar bill though the shiny texture did give it away after the initial surprise. Nevertheless, I had to see why it was there.

When I took that piece of paper and turned it around, this is what I found:

 
With a smile, I put it back there.
I thought of how useless that note was to me yet I picked it up. Not only that. I also spent time reading the text, thought of who can benefit from this and how are they conducting their business. If you were me, you might have different questions flooding your mind but there would be some thoughts around it.
It was during those weird two minutes that the realization struck me.

Someone could grab my attention to sell their product to me through a fake 100 dollar bill even without being physically present.

How?  By placing a 100 dollar bill lookalike which was bound to grab attention. (You are not interested in an abandoned 100$ bill? Seriously?)

OK. So, why am I telling you this? Because often in our lives as writers, we forget the need to promote our books, to get readers read our books. We often think blurbs, excerpts and other text is enough to grab their attention. Really? What about those readers/potential readers who do not have the time to read the excerpt? How do you appeal to all their senses and push them towards your book?

The point I am trying to make here is: Have you ever thought what makes a reader pick up your book?  Is it the book cover? Is it the blurb? Or is it the glowing, fluorescent SALE sticker on your book?

Have you ever considered how important appearances are to your books? 

There is no argument about having great book covers but does it end right there? I would love to know what you think would grab the attention of our potential reader!

New Year Wishes With Some Book News!

I am so glad I am finally writing this post. I have been planning this since last year! :)

First of all, a very happy new year to all of you. I wish you all the best in this new year.
2012 promises to be a very exciting year to me.

My book Always You finally releases on March 6th, 2012! I cannot wait enough for the day. The ARCs are already out and the blog tour details would be coming soon. The following 2-3 months are going to be super busy for me but I have never looked forward to so much work before. LOL.  And this is my cover page! Like it?

I also plan to be more regular with my blog. As I went through editing, beta reads and finally in to publication, I realized there is so much more I want to share with all my friends. I have had some amazing friends who have been helping me in this journey and I want to pay it forward to others. Hope it will help my writer friends in their journey to publication.

A special call out to my dear friend and author Cecilia Robert (http://cecereadandwrite.blogspot.com/) and author Darian Wilk (http://darianwilk.weebly.com/) . Both are very talented authors and have amazing stories to tell. But most importantly, they are lovely people who are always so helpful. Both have been with me at every step and I cannot thank them enough!

Last but not the least, I filled up my book shelf with more wonderful books this Christmas and cannot wait to get started. There is no treat like a good book!

See you soon!

Blue Bells of Scotland: Better Than The Outlander Series!

Today I welcome a Laura Vosika, author of the Blue Bells Triology. If you are interested in historical tales, that too set in the magical Scotland, and time travel then you are in for a treat! This book has caught readers unawares. Some readers have found this book better than the Outlander series! If you want to see more of what readers think about this book, click here. I am honored to have her with us today. So, here we go with our questions! 

Hello Laura! Tell us something about your new Blue Bells Triology.

Blue Bells of Scotland is a story of mistaken identity, time travel, and medieval adventures.  It's the story of two men, polar opposites but for their looks and love of music, who switch places in time.  Shawn, a self-centered musical phenomenon of the twenty-first century, finds the fate of medieval Scotland on his irresponsible, womanizing shoulders, while the devout medieval Highland warrior, Niall, finds himself caught in the roiled waters of Shawn's life--amorous fans, angry mistresses, pregnant girlfriend, and a furious conductor who orders him to play a sell-out concert on pain of being fired--a terrifying prospect to modern ears.

It is the story of Niall's attempts to get back to save his people, and Shawn facing himself and making the choices that change his life forever.  It is a story of change and redemption set against the backdrop of Scotland's Wars of Independence in 1314.

How did you get the idea of historical adventure set in Scotland?

The story was actually born from two sources.  One was a children's novel about four siblings who go into a Scottish keep and come out in medieval Scotland.  The other is a piece of trombone music, Blue Bells of Scotland, which is a theme and variations on the old folk song of the same name.

With both the book and the song being about Scotland, I started researching Scottish history for times that would involve streaming banners and noble deeds, as per the lyrics of the song, and settled on the battle of Bannockburn, the amazing victory of Robert Bruce and his Scottish troops over a much more powerful nation.

How was the experience? How difficult or easy was it for you to create this unique world?
In some ways, it's very easy.  Stories and characters often come alive and write themselves in a sense.  But in another, it's a lot of work.  I did hundreds of hours of research, not only online and through books, magazines, and DVDs, but I traveled to Scotland to visit all the locations in the book.  I like historical accuracy, and there were times when I would go to double check what I had written and find I needed to make adjustments to fit history.  It can be very difficult researching as far back as teh 1300's, due to sources being lost altogether, or corrupted, to finding conflicting sources and having to decide which one is more accurate or which one to use.  Just keeping all the notes organized so I can find them again is a challenge.  So yes, it's a lot of work, but on the other hand, for me, it's very enjoyable work.

Publishing jitters? What was the difficult part?
I didn't really feel nervous about publishing.  I had gone through the book with my writers' group, getting feedback, did the re-writing and getting feedback.  I felt ready to put it out there.  The most difficult part is possibly knowing that you finally need to stop editing, realizing that you can edit a book forever, and if you read it 5,000 times, you will still find things that you realize could be better, could be worded more clearly, could be more descriptive, and so on.  It's hard to finally let go of that.



and the fun part?
It's a wonderful feeling to hold a finished product in your hand after all the work that goes into it.  Book signings and giving talks are fun, especially when my writers' group, Night Writers, does group events, which we typically do several times a year.  It's fun to create worlds and lives, and bring them to life on paper and for other people.

You have a wonderful book trailer for book 1. How effective do you think book trailers are?
In talking with others, I think marketing is a bit of a mystery, and we're never sure what one thing has the real impact.  I think all the little bits add up, but as we're a very visual society, I think any author should have a book trailer.  It's just one part, though, and of course, the more you put it out there, the more effective it is.

What is your favourite part of the whole writing journey?
I think what I've really enjoyed the most is all the connections I've made as a result of writing, from the wonderful people in my writers' group, Night Writers, to many authors I've met online, several of whom I've become friends with, to readers who have contacted me.  Just today, I had a wonderful lunch with a reader/ most likely distant cousin, who contacted me because she saw my name in the paper and figured we must be related.  We poured over some genealogy together, had delicious seafood, and enjoyed a good talk.  It was a real delight.

Last but not the least, your favorite quote in the whole book!

I think it's possible my 'favorite' quote could change depending what day I answer the question, but the one that sprang to mind today was, "I'm Shawn Kleiner, I can do anything I want!"

Not that I think arrogance is a good character trait!  But the whole series is, on one level, about why people are who they are, and about change and redemption.  Shawn does have some redeeming qualities even to begin with, and he learns and grows throughout the series, but there's a certain fun in writing someone so thoroughly obnoxious.  Perhaps especially knowing his world is about to be rocked from that point onward.

Haha. I totally agree. Being bad is the new fad anyway!
Thank you so much Laura for agreeing to do this interview.
If you would like to connect with Laura, here are her links:
blog: http://bluebellstrilogy.blogspot.com/site: www.bluebellstrilogy.comfacebook:  www.facebook.com/laura.vosika.authortwitter: www.twitter.com/lauravosika

If you want to READ the BLUE BELLS TRILOGY: Click HERE. 

Your Readers Are Not Stupid

Ever felt a book was bad? Why do you think it was bad?

It had spelling errors.It had grammatical errors.The characters acted weird all of a sudden.The plot had holes.The story jumped its way to the end. The location/profession/etc. was absolutely nonsensical. 
A few of the many reasons why readers shun a book, and finally an author. 
If you want your book to sell well, remembering this one thing would help you write better:
My Readers Are Not Stupid. They Pay For My Book Because They Think It's Worth It. 


Prove it. 
Make full use of the spell & grammar checker. Hire a professional proofreader/editor.Talk to your characters. Make them real with real reactions.Get your book beta-read to identify plot holes that you might have missed. Do your research. Talk to people. Don't just google.Last but not the least, revise it as many times as possible till it has the same quality that your favorite book has.
Because your reader is not stupid. Respect your reader. 

Do Short Stories Sell?

Courtesy:Radial DirectOf late, I have come across a lot of digital short stories and anthologies over various forums. Authors are excited about this new phenomenon where each story range typically from 8K-10K word count.

I have never bought a short story yet but I have enjoyed quite a few as giveaways. I know a lot others who feel the same way and prefer the longer versions of a story. Yet, there is no smoke without fire. If they are being written with much enthusiasm, there is an audience too. Hence, it piqued my interest and I went about doing my little research.

After reading through readers and authors experience with these digital bite sized stories, I concluded there are two ways to look at the short story reading/selling phenomena.

Direct Sales - Selling Short Stories - Single or series

There are authors who make a living just by writing and selling short stories. Yes, they do. In fact, Amazon has a dedicated page for shorts known as Kindle Singles. That definitely shows that even Amazon has seen the worth in short stories. Single short stories seem to be doing better than series short stories mainly because 10K is too short for a reader to feel satisfied. Single short stories, on the other hand, is a closed loop which can be quite satisfying if well written. Authors on popular Amazon forums have admitted to sales about 1000-1500 copies in couple of months on their short stories.

However, there are two points that have been repeatedly pointed out.

You need to publish more than one short story to see actual sales trickle through. General consensus is to have a consistent flow of short stories, in double digits to see any significant amount of sales. The good part of this is, at the end of the year, you can probably bundle it up and sell it at one go at a higher price. If you have accumulated good reviews by then, there is a higher chance that readers are willing to pay for the bundle. It is all about how you package your product.

The other point that the readers have often pointed out is they appreciate longer book, especially if its part of a series. A series short story is essentially a single book but broken down in to short parts to be sold separately. The general feeling here is that since the characters are the same, it is often a difficult part to leave them after just about 10K words. The urge to know more is strong in this case and though, it might convert in to sales, there is also a chance that the reader drop the series frustrated. This is something you should keep in mind when writing a short story. If you are selling it as series, ensure that the following books are published at short intervals.

Indirect Sales - Short story giveaway

Write a short story and give away for free. This is promotion for your full-length book. Short story is a form of introducing your potential reader to your writing and if he/she like it, then you just increased the probability of one more sale of your novel. I find it a very healthy way of promotion. This gives you an indirect sale. When offered for free, authors have reported downloads in thousands. If your short story is reaching thousands, it is definitely a wonderful exposure for the full length novel as well.

Though Amazon does not allow free shorts, there are scores of websites who do allow free shorts and which can actually turn in to a mine for your books.

If you are specifically looking at selling shorter length books and find full-length books too intimidating, there is a middle path - sell Novellas and Novelettes. Novellas are 20K-30K words and Novelettes are typically 15K-20K words. Novellas sell better than novelettes as the word count gives ample space to make up a good story. It is not too hard and a great way to release series as well.

This is my two pence about selling short stories. What has been your experience?

Double Clutch Blog Tour : Liz Reinhardt

What happens when you fall for the perfect guy...twice...in one day?
Brenna Blixen spent her freshman year homeschooling in Denmark; now that she's back in the States, she's determined to make her sophomore year unforgettable. And by unforgettable, she imagined awesome classes, fun friendships, and maybe a little romance.
What she got was a whole lot of romance, and all at once.
The same day that dark, brooding Saxon Maclean charmed her with his killer good looks and whip-smart wit, Jake Kelly stole her breath away with his heart-wrenching smile and intelligent, thoughtful focus.
But Saxon is a proud player who makes it clear that he doesn't know why he can't get Brenna off of his mind and out of his system, and Jake's sweet and humble attitude hides a secret past life that might be darker and more complex than Brenna is willing to deal with.
Complicating the matter is the fact that Saxon and Jake were once best friends and are now arch-enemies...and the more Brenna finds out about their connection to each other, the more intrigued and worried she becomes.
Between keeping the peace with her lovingly over-protective parents, designing t-shirts for her high school's rising punk band, keeping up her grades in classes split between academic and technical high school, and running the track like a maniac, Brenna has enough to worry about without juggling two guys who make her heart thud and drive her crazy all at once.
She has to make a choice, but how is she supposed to do that when giving her heart to one of them might mean breaking the other's?
Recommended Age Group: Older YA

First Crush: How Loving Mike A. Made Me Want To Crimp My Hair, and Losing Him Made Me A Better Student


I recently wrote a YA contemporary romance, Double Clutch. When I wrote it, I thought back a lot on my past experiences with love, especially in high school. But I was a seasoned pro by the time high school rolled around! Because my issues with boys started when I was in kindergarten, and they rolled right along as I bridged the gap between elementary and middle school.

Jimmy V. had been my first romantic entanglement, way back in kindergarten. After an unfortunate incident that involved some laminated pink hearts with our names, a long trek to get milk, my attempt to save the milk and his injured arm, and the rash of cootie-related rumors that followed, I sealed my young heart to boys and romance. No more! I made it all the way through fourth grade being studious, having fun, and not even noticing boys in any hearts-and-giggles way. Until the end of fourth grade.


I love milk, but it had complicated romantic overtures all through elementary school. Young love can be so weird!Mike A. had spikey blonde hair and the coolest hightops of anyone in our class. He was funny and charming, and was never, ever at a loss for girlish company. I was not remotely interested. Fourth grade was the year Mr. Lane let us write stories during free time on Fridays and read them out loud to the class. My buddy Becky B. and I were pretty consumed with our careers as blossoming fiction writers/orators. That all changed when we went to the Franklin Mines.
It did have a pretty cool fluorescent rock room!
There wasn't a ton about the creepy, shadowy mines and accompanying rock piles that inspired romance. But there was  gift shop. In it was a card that had gilt edges and featured a woman in a huge straw hat drinking tea. It is a complete mystery to me what this had to do with the Franklin Mines or romance, but Mike A. was an enterprising young man when it came to matters of the heart. He saw potential for a love connection where most boys saw the biggest rock piles they'd ever laid eyes on.
He approached me at the picnic tables with the card and handed it over with all the practiced nonchalance of a true player.
"This made me think of you." He smiled and adjusted the laces on his hightops.
I didn't drink tea or wear huge straw hats, but my ten-year-old heart was all in a swoon over the card. And inside! Inside it said, "I like you, Elizabeth." Were sweeter words ever written on any cheesy museum gift-shop card anywhere?


Like this! But even MORE romantic! If you can imagine...
Our relationship blossomed slowly. Really slowly. 
After the card, we didn't speak again. Summer passed and we entered fifth grade, when most boys caught up with Mike A. in the love department and romance blossomed. Fifth graders got to sit wherever they wanted to at lunch. There were no assigned tables in fifth grade! And we had lockers. It was a whole new world, and Mike A. was ready to take full advantage of all the romance it offered.
"How about I meet you at your locker before lunch, then we can sit together," he said, running a hand over his perfectly gelled blonde spikes.
I agreed happily. We met at my locker, and sat together at lunch. There may have been chirping birds and animated hearts. It's all fogged over with love in my memory. For three whole days we repeated this cycle, and Mike finally asked me to be his girlfriend. I agreed, happy to imagine day after day of sitting alongside each other at lunch and meeting at our lockers. 


Lockers! They unleashed our free spirits!

I was so smitten, I put my hair in tiny, tight braids when it was damp and slept with it that way to achieve the ultimate eye-catching hair-do, sure to make Mike A. love me forever. The crimp worked! Alas, it worked too well.
Apparently I looked so good with my new puffy do, Mike A. wanted to step our relationship up a notch. 
"I like your hair," he said. I beamed. "I want to hold hands during lunch."
I chewed my lip and looked around. No one else was holding hands. What would the teachers think? But there was an even bigger worry in my book. "I want to, Mike! I really do." I felt my voice drop. "But how can I hold your hand and eat my lunch?"
He swallowed hard and looked away. "Fine," he muttered.
He met me at my locker after the final bell. "Look," he said, not meeting my eyes. "I like you, but I don't think we're right for each other. Let's break up."
"Is it because I wouldn't hold your hand? I still don't get how you expected me to eat with one hand, Mike!" I protested.
"It's not just that." He raised his eyebrows. "I was thinking we should kiss, but if you won't even hold my hand..." He left it out there like a dare.
I was horrified. "You want to kiss me? I hardly know you! I'm not like that!" 
He shrugged. "Yeah, I figured. Well, then I guess we're breaking up."
My little heart was breaking. "You know what? I'm just glad you said it first. I wanted to say it, but I was afraid I'd hurt your feelings." I shut my locker calmly and ran to the bus, where I burst into heart-wrenching sobs.

The crimp was more powerful than I ever imagined!To this day, my mother still hates poor Mike A.! He grew up to be a super nice guy, and he claims to not remember dumping me over the hand-holding/kiss, but apologized anyway. 
But I told him it was a blessing in disguise. If I had taken the plunge in fifth grade, I think my life would have panned out differently. 
As it was, I refused to crimp my hair and buried my nose in books to ease my pain. Oh sweet books! Fifth grade was one of the best reading years of my life! I read everything, and started to see myself as a young scholar when so many other girls were focused on kissing. 
It worked for me academically and romantically. Because I wound up getting the perfect first kiss from Aaron T. a few years later. If you'd like to read about that, please stop by http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/ on November 18th!
Thank you so much to Shilpa for letting me relive my young love on your blog!

Liz Reinhardt was born and raised in the idyllic beauty of northwest NJ. A move to the subtropics of coastal Georgia with her daughter and husband left her with a newly realized taste for the beach and a bloated sunscreen budget. Right alongside these new loves is her old, steadfast affection and longing for bagels and the fast-talking foul mouths of her youth.
She loves Raisinettes, even if they aren't really candy, the Oxford comma, movies that are hilarious or feature zombies, any and all books, but especially romance (the smarter and hotter, the better), the sound of her daughter's incessantly wise and entertaining chatter, and watching her husband work on cars in the driveway.
You can read her blog at www.elizabethreinhardt.blogspot.com, like her on Facebook, or email her at lizreinhardtwrites@gmail.com.

How To Build Characters That Stay With Your Readers

At some point or the other, almost all of you must have wondered - what is more important? Character or the story? A valid question and my answer has always been my characters. 
Whenever I have thought of books, stories to write, it has spurned from a character. The situation they are in their lives, the actions that they perform, the decisions that they make is what makes a story for me. Hence, I give a lot of importance to building characters in my story. But how to build characters that can stay with your readers? 
Here are some of the tricks that I have learnt through research and from my friends:
1. Research Your Characters : Your character is a cop? Research the ways of cop, their profession, the hardships, or perks. Research exhaustively to reflect the life of a cop. This would ensure that your character's reaction to situation are as real-life as possible. Don't underestimate your reader when it comes to research. They often know much more than you because they do come from those professions. 
2. Know Your Characters Inside-Out: Some experts advise you to go as deep as their favorite ice-cream flavor (which is good to know, btw) but I do not go that far. If I know what makes my character tick, what scares her, what makes her happy, her habits, postures, etc., I think I am good. One of the ways, I keep track of that is writing out the story of each character. I dedicate about 1-2 pages to it, telling the story from their POV. It helps me see where they are coming from and their reactions as the story unfolds. 
You can also use post-its for each character and stick on your desk for easy reference. I use full A-4 pages!
3. Visualise your character: I often wish I could sketch but alas! My hands fail me miserably at the task. My sketches often end up looking like abominations on human race. See, I have this image of my characters in my head and I yearn to get them on paper for me to react to them better. Lucky thing that we are in the internet age because now you can google images! I often google for my characters and I do find people very similar to them. For example, my current novel that I am working on, Painting Ethan, has Ethan looking this way. Go on, swoon. :)  It helps me so much better in writing. Well, I guess a face like that would inspire anyone to write. LOL!But you get the point, right? 
4. Still struggling? Talk to them: I have heard a lot of people telling me this. Interview your characters. Ask them questions about how they feel about a situation. Often their answers would be so different than yours. It is an incredible resource for you to know them better. Come on, try it.
Finally, the most important thing in creating believable characters is to believe in them yourself.  Treat them like real people and your readers will do the same! 
What do you do to create great characters? Which are some of the characters in books you have read that have stayed with you long after you read them?

Why Do You Buy A Particular Book?

I have often wondered what makes one buy a book. The times that gets me thinking about this is when I discover a gem that no one talks about much. They lie at the corners of the bookstore, alone, shunned while other books shine brightly to our eyes. Fortunately, through fate or unavoidable circumstances, we stumble upon these undiscovered gems and wonder, why didn't I pick this before?

I thought of a few reasons:
1. Blurb: The blurb at the back page. That is my guide to the book and the right hook there makes me pick it. And writers, well, they do a great job at it!
2. Cover page: Don't judge a book by its cover? But we do judge them, don't we? It is sad, but our visual sense is so much more dominating that our reason. 
3. Visibility: There are a lot of people talking about it. In a good way. And sometimes, if they trash it too much, even that gets me itch to read that book. (I know, weird!). Visibility, of course, is directly linked to promotions. 
4. Reviews: I depend a lot on reviews. Reviews from reliable sites and blogs. But I often wonder, how many are genuine? Especially when they are part of promotions? 
What makes you buy a particular book? Please vote and let me know! Why Do You Buy A Particular Book?

10 Things I Wish I Would Have Known BEFORE Writing My Novel

My second special guest is Emlyn Chand, author of Farsighted. This book is so hot today that people are lapping it up before you even blink. A multi-cultural, unique story that a lot of people are extremely happy about. I am very excited to read it too and will post a review soon.
Emlyn is guest posting today and she has some great tips to share! Thank you Emlyn!

 When did you have enough confidence in your abilities to officially call yourself a writer?For me, it was when I first received money for my work as a freelance columnist. For you, it may have been when you finished the first chapter of your first novel or won a prize for a short story. Maybe you never had any qualms about saddling yourself with this label. Maybe you still don't consider yourself a "real writer."Me? Now I know enough to see that I was a writer long before someone handed me that first paycheck. It's kind of something you're born with—like it or not.But being an author, that's different.The term writer focuses more on the craft—engaging in the actual activity of writing. The term author encompasses not only the craft but also the business aspect of it.So when are you worthy of the label author? Why, when you publish your first book of course!I write this post just days before I make the transition from writer to author. My first novel Farsighted releases on October 24, which means my 26-year-long (AKA life-long) dream is finally coming true. When I look back at the journey that brought me to the peak of this beautiful achievement, I can't help but think of what I wish I'd have known before starting on my path.I've identified 10 lessons I've learned along the way. Maybe you already know these things. Maybe you don't. I'm gonna share 'em anyway...

 1. Something's gotta give. Writing is not something you can do with just a little bit of effort. To get through the first draft, editing, what-have-you, you'll have to work hard! Yes, you could space it out over several years, but if you want to finish anytime this year, you're going to have to make sacrifices. For me, this was less time with friends and family, less television, and less attention to my health (eating right and exercising). Oops.

 2. Write what you want to write—not what you think you should be writing. Boy, this was a hard one to learn. I've always fallen back on being "that smart girl." When things didn't go right in my personal life or when I was picked last in gym class, I took pride in my intellect. Therefore, I've always done what I can to improve my wit and make my best trait the best it can be. That being said, I spent a long time forcing myself to read classic literature. I did enjoy it, and I still do, but it's definitely not what I find most entertaining (YA is). Still I kept at the classic literature because it was important to me that others respect my intelligence (damaged by high school much? :-P). Naturally when I decided to write a novel, it came out as literary fiction. That's the me I wanted to portray to the world. I wanted people to salivate over my talent and proclaim my literary merit... Except the novel wasn't that good, because it wasn't a piece of who I really am. Now that I've cozied into YA, I couldn't be happier. And the larger facade of who I once pretended to be has lifted. I. AM. FREE. Now this lesson doesn't just mean: don't put on a false front. It also means: don't chase trends. Write what your heart wants to write, and it'll all be good in the end.

 3. You're going to make mistakes. LOTS of mistakes. Practice makes perfect. Well, it makes it better than before. You may be an excellent writer, but if you've never written a novel before, you're a newbie. That's okay too! When writing that all-important first novel, you're pretty much going to make every mistake in the book. In my first novel, I really struggled with keeping a consistent point-of-view and writing authentic dialogue. The POV problem was very difficult to fix, but in trying, I learned an important lesson—one I couldn't have learned if I hadn't made such huge blunders. Now that I do know how to correct and avoid these problems, dialogue and POV are two of my strongest areas (at least that's what readers tell me).

4. Writer's detour is a bigger problem than writer's block. Writer's block gets all the PR, but it's not as dangerous as writer's detour. When you're blocked you're not moving forward. When you take a detour, you're moving in the wrong direction. Will you get to California quicker by taking a small rest in Boise, or will you get there quicker by following a pretty red car to Ontario first? (My advice, drive straight-on through to Cali if you can). Don't get so caught up with a minor character (or a theme you want to convey) that you stray all over the place. Which brings me to my next point...

5. Structure is important. We writers fall into two camps: pantsers and plotters. Some pantsers consider themselves superior, because their writing leads their plots—not the other way around. I used to think like that too. Even if you want to keep your plotline fluid, you need some form of structure. Shudder at the thought of outlining? Then mapping your characters is crucial. You need to know where you're going and/or who's taking you there. Otherwise you're just groping about in the dark. Yes, writing is absolutely a creative process, but don't under-estimate the value of good planning.

6. Novel #1 may never leave the drawer. Or it may leave the drawer, journey around the query circuit, and then come right back to where it started. My first novel DID get me an agent, but 9 drafts later, it still wasn't good enough to publish. When my agent suggested I change 2/3 of it for draft 10, I decided to move onto my next project. I just wasn't enjoying the process anymore. I'm so glad I finally called it quits on novel #1, because novel #2 is so much better, and now I get to put it out there into the world. If I would've kept agonizing over the inferior manuscript, novel #2 may have never happened!


7. When you're done, you're not done. I'm just a big ball of sunshine today, aren't I? But it's important to understand just how much work follows being "done." Anne Lamott said it best in Bird by Bird, you're going to write "shitty first drafts." I can guarantee it! Don't let that stop you, just be prepared for it.

8. Writing is a business just as much as it's an art. Getting a novel published and promoting it once it's out there is infinitely more work than writing a novel in the first place. That's not to under-value the writing process, but it's true. Sure, you can finish your novel, self-publish it, and then do virtually nothing to promote it. Fine. But if you actually want to sell copies of your book, you've gotta handle the business side of things. Finding an agent is an extremely formal business interaction—you even have to write fancy business (AKA query) letters. Marketing your book is a TON of work. It's pretty fun (at least, I think so, but I moonlight as a book publicist, so I realize I might not be normal). However, being fun is not equivalent to being easy. Not even close. Expect lots of work and lots of stress and not very much sleep. The good news: you get out what you put in, so give it all you can!

9. Querying will destroy your soul. My unhappy place is remembering query letter Hell. I honestly can't remember anything harder in my life. Ever. Make sure you have a good support system in place. Because even if you're brilliant, you can pretty much expect a slew of rejections. I ultimately got an agent but had to suffer through 60 "not for us"s first. Of course, it hurts. As writers, we pour our hearts and souls into our manuscript. Our words are a part of who we are. Having a faceless stranger tell you it's not good enough is pure torture. End of argument.

10. You will sustain injuries. Gosh, my neck is killing me while I'm writing this post. You're probably going to get neck and back pain too. Headaches from staring at the computer too long. Possible eye problems. Definite poor posture. Maybe even carpal tunnel syndrome. That's just the way it goes, so be prepared.Seems pretty cynical, doesn't it? I <3 the craft and would never abandon it (like I even have a choice), but I find that those who are starting out with visions of Stephen King or JK Rowling-esque fame already see the pretty side of writing—the glamor. Having a balanced picture is so important. Even still, all the practical knowledge just can't compare to experiential knowledge. Follow YOUR path to author-hood, make your own mistakes, learn lessons from them, and then share with the rest of us.  

THE BOOK: Alex Kosmitoras may be blind, but he can still "see" things others can't. When his unwanted visions of the future begin to suggest that the girl he likes could be in danger, he has no choice but to take on destiny and demand it reconsider. Get your copy today by visiting Amazon.com's Kindle store or the eBook retailer of your choice. The paperback edition will be available on November 24 (for the author's birthday).

THE CASH PRIZES: Guess what? You could win a $100 Amazon gift card as part of this special blog tour. That's right! Just leave a comment below saying something about the post you just read, and you'll be entered into the raffle. I could win $100 too! Please help by voting for my blog in the traffic-breaker poll. To cast your vote, visit the official Farsighted blog tour page and scroll all the way to the bottom. Thank you for your help with that.

THE GIVEAWAYS: Win 1 of 10 autographed copies of Farsighted before its paperback release by entering the giveaway on GoodReads. Perhaps you'd like an autographed postcard from the author; you can request one on her site.

THE AUTHOR: Emlyn Chand has always loved to hear and tell stories, having emerged from the womb with a fountain pen grasped firmly in her left hand (true story). When she's not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm, Novel Publicity. Emlyn loves to connect with readers and is available throughout the social media interweb. Visit www.emlynchand.com for more info. Don't forget to say "hi" to her sun conure Ducky!

MORE FUN: There's more fun below. Watch the live action Farsighted book trailer and take the quiz to find out which character is most like you!